Chapel tent frame truss



Jan; ,R. E. SHOAF 1,840,745

CHAPEL TENT FRAME TRUSS Filed April 27. 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l 29 i (0 o o) 1 T I (0) il V P 32 v 7 3mm Patented Jan. 12, 1932 I CHAPEL ,TEiv'r RAME muss" nppfication'filed'A pril 27, 1931. I seiialnb. 533,323.

This invention relates to chapel tent frame construction, and more particularly to the truss construction of the roof portion thereof.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a truss of this character which includes flexible roofing members,'means be' ing provided. for bending or bowing the flex ible roof members to give the roof the proper contour commonin chapel tent roof construcherein disclosed, may be made within the tion.

A further object ofthe invention is the provisionof a roof truss'embodying pivoted lateral sections and means for bowing the lateral sections independently of each other.

With the foregoing andother objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides n the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention from the spirit of theinvention. i I Referringto the drawings Figure 1- is a front elevatlon'al view. of

tent frame constructed in accordance with the I invention.-

Flgure 2 1s a plan vlew thereof.

FigureB is an enlarged detail view taken on line 3-3 ofFigure 1. I

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on line 44 of Figure 3.

Figure '5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Figure 1. 7

Figure 6 is a view illustrating oneio'f the roof sections ofa chapel tent frame, in its 7 folded condition. I r Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmental sectional view illustratlng the means for connecting the outer ends of the flexible members of a roof construction, to theouter endsof the rigid bars of the roof construction. 7 Referring to the drawings'in detail, the

' 1 tent of which the roof sections forming the essence of this invention form'a part, are indicated generally by the reference char acter5. Q

Each of these sections embodies a vertical post 6, to the upper end of which the curved scope of what is claimed, without departing.

plates 7 are secured,theplatesbeing arranged on opposite sides of the post, as clearlyshown by Figure 4 of the drawings. 1 These plates 7- are of lengths to extend appreciable distances beyond the sideof the post 6, Where theyare 55 provided with openings to receive the bolt 8': 7 that act'as means to secure the flexible'roof I bars 9, to be hereinafter more fullydescribed, to'the post 6. I Y

.These plates? are slightly curved, sothat they will conform to the curvature of the. flexible mothers 9,- to carry out the curved line of theroof section. Metallic straps 10 are secured to the inner ends of the flexible 1 roof bars 9, and provide openingsthrough which the bolts 8 pass in securing the flexible;

roof barslto .the plates 7. f Theouter ends of V theflexiblereof bars 9 are alsoprovided with metallic straps l1, that'arespaced fromtheg ends of the-bars, providing openings to re-- ceive the bolts 12 that pass through the'plates '18 which are secured to the rigid bars 14', ad-*- jacent, to the outer ends thereof. The plates '13 extend. below the rigid bars 14, where they are-connectedby bolts 15 ,the bolts lyingin' spaced relation with the bars 14, to receive hooks formed at the upper ends of'the posts V 16, that support the tent in an upright posi- 1 'tion. At the inner end of the rigid bars 14, l

are p1ates17. thatare pivotally connected to thebars 14, the plates 17 being formed with enlargements 18 to engage the side of -the post 6 to guide the'plates in their movements l longitudinally of the post 6. Thus it will be seen that due to this-construction, the inner ends of the bars 14 may be moved upwardly toaposition-adjacent toithe plates 7 ,whereuponthe fiexibleroofbars 9 are moved to positions :in parallel relationwith the post asmall and compact article for shipment.

. One of the plates 17 is formed with athreaded opening to accommodate. the set scr'ew 19, which is adapted to engage the post 6 to- ;hold thevplates 17 against movement, 95' afterzgtheyhave been moved to their active positions; At the outer end ofeach flexible roof :bar 9,,and; securedtothe under-side" thereof, isa-strap 20 formed with an eye 21 to receive the. lowerrends :of'thetr uss rods 23,

'6, so that the roof-section may be folded into i the opposite ends of the truss rods 23 being extended throughthe eyes 24 of the straps 25, that are secured to the undersides of the flexible roof bars 9, at the inner ends of the flexible roof bars. These truss rods 23 are formed with loops 26 disposed intermediate their ends, through which loops the hooks 27 extend and are secured, the opposite or hook ends of the hooks 27 being designed to be passed through the eyes 28 of the eye bolts 29. It will of course be understood that these hooks 27 are of lengths to cause the flexible roof bars 9 to bend or how, to give the proper curvature to the roof of the tent, of which the section forms a part.

VVhenthe hooks 27 are disconnected from the eyes of the eyetbolts 29, the flexible roof bars will of course return to their normal positions.

In the construction of a chapel tent, these roof sections are connected by means of side bars 30 and ridge bars 31, the ends of the bars 30 and 31 being formed with eyes to accommodate the pins 32, that extend from the ends ofthe rigid bars 14- and upper ends of the posts 6 of these sections, and due to this construction, it will be obvious that tents of various sizes may be constructed.

I claim:

1. A tent frame including a roof section embodying a central post, bars extending laterally from the post, flexible bars connected to the first mentioned bars, means for connecting the flexible bars to the central post, and means for bowing the flexible bars and holding the flexible bars in their bowed condition.

2. A tent frame including a roof section, embodying a central post, flexible bars connected to the post, rigid bars connected to the post, means for connecting the outer ends of certain of the flexible bars and rigid bars, and means for holding the flexible bars bowed.

3. A tent frame including a roof section embodying a central post, flexible bars pivot- .ally connected to the central post, rigid bars, means for pivotally connecting the outer ends of the rigid bars to the adjacent ends of the flexible bars, means for drawing the ends of the flexible bars toward each other to bow the flexible bars, and means for connecting the rigid bars to the post.

l. A tent frame including a roof section embodying a central post, spaced plates at the upper end of the post, bars constructed of flexible material, pivotally mounted between the plates, pivoted bars constructed of rigid material, means for pivotally connecting the outer ends of the rigid bars and the flexible bars, and means for bowing the flexible bars.

5. A tent frame including a roof section embodying a central post, bars constructed of flexible material, pivotally connected to the post, rigid bars,.means forslidably connecting t 1e inner ends of the rigid bars to the post, means for connecting the outer ends of the flexi le bars to the rigid bars, and means for bowing the flexible bars.

6. A tent frame including a roof section embodying a'central member, roof bars constructed of flexible material, means for connecting the roof bars to the central member, rigid bars, means for pivotally connecting the outer ends of the rigid bars and the outer ends of the flexible roof bars, and means for howing the roof bars.

7. A tent frame including a roof section embodying a central member, flexible bars, means for pivotally connecting the flexible bars to the central member, rigid bars, means for pivotally connecting the rigid bars and flexible bars, means for mounting the inner ends of the rigid bars on the central member, to allow the inner ends of the rigid bars to slide longitudinally of the central member, and means for bowing the flexible bars.

8. A tent frame including a roof section embodying a central post, flexible roof bars, means for pivotally connecting the flexible roof bars to the central member, a truss rod mounted on each flexible roof bar and secured to the roof bars at the ends thereof, and means between the truss rods and flexible bars for separating the truss rods and flexible bars to how the flexible bars.

9. A tent frame includim a roof section embodying a central post, flexible roof bars, means for pivotally connecting the flexible roof bars to the post, truss rods carried by the flexible bars, each of said truss rods having an eye disposed intermediate its ends, a hook mounted in the eye, eye members carried by the flexible roof bars, and said eye members adapted to receive the free ends of the hooks to separate the truss rods and flexible roof bar, to bow the flexible roof bars.

10. A tent frame including a roof section embodying a central post, flexible roof bars, means for pivotally connecting the flexible roof bars to the post, rigid bars, means for pivotally connecting the outer ends of the flexible roof bars and rigid bars, and means for bowing the flexible roof bars to curve the roof section. V

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature.

RUSSELL E. SHOAF.

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